Senate File 324
SENATE FILE
BY HOSCH, DRAKE, and KIBBIE
(COMPANION TO LSB 2675HH
BY LUKAN)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act establishing a veterans trust fund under the control of
2 the commission of veterans affairs and increasing the
3 admission fee for racing and gaming establishments for
4 purposes of the veterans trust fund.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
6 TLSB 2675SS 80
7 jp/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 35A.13 VETERANS TRUST FUND.
1 2 1. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means a
1 3 resident of this state who served in the armed forces of the
1 4 United States, completed a minimum aggregate of ninety days of
1 5 active federal service, and was discharged under honorable
1 6 conditions, or a person listed in section 35.1, subsection 2,
1 7 paragraph "b".
1 8 2. A veterans trust fund is created in the state treasury
1 9 under the control of the commission.
1 10 3. The trust fund shall consist of all of the following:
1 11 a. Admission fees credited to the trust fund pursuant to
1 12 sections 99D.14, 99F.4A, and 99F.10.
1 13 b. Moneys in the form of a devise, gift, bequest,
1 14 donation, federal or other grant, reimbursement, repayment,
1 15 judgment, transfer, payment, or appropriation from any source
1 16 intended to be used for the purposes of the trust fund.
1 17 c. Interest attributable to investment of moneys in the
1 18 fund or an account of the trust fund. Notwithstanding section
1 19 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the
1 20 trust fund shall be credited to the trust fund.
1 21 4. Moneys credited to the trust fund are not subject to
1 22 section 8.33 and shall not be transferred, used, obligated,
1 23 appropriated, or otherwise encumbered, except as provided in
1 24 this section. Moneys in the trust fund may be used for cash
1 25 flow purposes during a fiscal year provided that any moneys so
1 26 allocated are returned to the trust fund by the end of that
1 27 fiscal year.
1 28 5. The minimum balance of the trust fund required prior to
1 29 expenditure of moneys from the trust fund is fifty million
1 30 dollars. Once the minimum balance is reached, the interest
1 31 and earnings on the fund and any moneys received under
1 32 subsection 3, paragraph "b", are appropriated to the
1 33 commission to be used to achieve the purposes of this section.
1 34 6. Moneys appropriated to the commission under this
1 35 section may be expended upon a majority vote of the commission
2 1 membership for the benefit of veterans and the spouses and
2 2 dependents of veterans, for any of the following purposes:
2 3 a. College tuition aid.
2 4 b. Job training aid.
2 5 c. Veterans nursing facilities.
2 6 d. Benefits provided to children of disabled or deceased
2 7 veterans.
2 8 e. Unemployment aid needed during a veteran's unemployment
2 9 due to prolonged illness or disability resulting from military
2 10 service. A diagnosed case of mental distress due to military
2 11 service=related activities shall be included as a disability
2 12 under this paragraph.
2 13 f. Other purposes identified by the commission.
2 14 Sec. 2. Section 99D.14, Code 2003, is amended by adding
2 15 the following new subsection:
2 16 NEW SUBSECTION. 2A. In addition to the admission fee
2 17 charged under subsection 2, a licensee shall pay to the
2 18 commission an admission fee of fifty cents for each person
2 19 subject to the admission fee charged under subsection 2. The
2 20 admission revenue received by the commission pursuant to this
2 21 subsection shall be credited to the veterans trust fund
2 22 created in section 35A.13. The admission fee established
2 23 under this subsection shall continue to be paid until a total
2 24 of fifty million dollars has been credited to the veterans
2 25 trust fund under this subsection, section 99F.4A, subsection
2 26 4, and section 99F.10, subsection 3A.
2 27 Sec. 3. Section 99F.4A, subsection 4, Code 2003, is
2 28 amended to read as follows:
2 29 4. The fee admission fees imposed in section 99D.14,
2 30 subsection subsections 2 and 2A, shall be collected for
2 31 admission to a racetrack enclosure where gambling games are
2 32 licensed to operate in lieu of the admission fee fees imposed
2 33 in section 99F.10.
2 34 Sec. 4. Section 99F.10, Code 2003, is amended by adding
2 35 the following new subsection:
3 1 NEW SUBSECTION. 3A. In addition to the admission fees
3 2 charged under subsections 2 and 3, an excursion boat licensee
3 3 shall pay to the commission an admission fee of fifty cents
3 4 for each person subject to the admission fee charged under
3 5 subsection 2. The admission revenue received by the
3 6 commission pursuant to this subsection shall be credited to
3 7 the veterans trust fund created in section 35A.13. The
3 8 admission fee established under this subsection shall continue
3 9 to be paid until a total of fifty million dollars has been
3 10 credited to the veterans trust fund under this subsection,
3 11 section 99D.14, subsection 2A, and section 99F.4A, subsection
3 12 4.
3 13 EXPLANATION
3 14 This bill establishes a veterans trust fund under the
3 15 control of the commission of veterans affairs and increases
3 16 the admission fee for racing and gaming establishments.
3 17 New Code section 35A.13 establishes the veterans trust
3 18 fund. The fund receives the admission fees created in the
3 19 bill, any other appropriations and moneys provided for
3 20 purposes of the fund, and interest and earnings on the moneys
3 21 credited to the fund. Moneys in the fund are not subject to
3 22 appropriation or transfer except as provided by law. Once the
3 23 fund reaches a balance of $50 million, the interest and
3 24 earnings and other moneys credited to the fund in excess of
3 25 that amount are appropriated to the commission to be used for
3 26 the purposes of the fund. The bill specifies that the fund is
3 27 to be used for the benefit of veterans and the spouses and
3 28 dependents of veterans for various purposes specified in the
3 29 bill. The term "veteran" is defined for purposes of the trust
3 30 fund as a resident of this state who served in the armed
3 31 forces of the United States, completed a minimum aggregate of
3 32 90 days of active federal service, and was discharged under
3 33 honorable conditions, or a person listed in a portion of the
3 34 Code section 35.1 definition of veteran, which includes former
3 35 members of the military reserves and the national guard and
4 1 veterans of certain other types of military=related service.
4 2 The bill establishes an additional admission fee of $.50
4 3 for those persons already subject to an admission fee at
4 4 racetracks and excursion boat gambling establishments. The
4 5 additional admission fee continues until a total of $50
4 6 million is collected.
4 7 LSB 2675SS 80
4 8 jp/pj/5.1